The Cardinals Need to Keep Jon Jay for All of 2014

In February, optimism is easy. The Cardinals are coming off a 97-win season that fell just two wins shy of a World Series Championship. St. Louis had one glaring hole at the end of the season, and that hole was filled when Jhonny Peralta signed. There were some questions about centerfield, and John Mozeliak traded for a guy who is better than Mike Trout at something baseball-related. Unlike last offseason, the bench has been supplemented with a veteran that has shown the ability to continue contributing. There are internal options with major league success ready to cover the departure of Carlos Beltran, their only notable free agent. One of the best prospects in all of baseball is waiting in the wings. The rotation and bullpen provide more answers than questions. This optimism is what makes it so easy to forget why the Cardinals need Jon Jay...